Illuminating device



NOV. 16,1943. Q E c oss 2,334,480

ILLUMINATING DEVICES Filed April 29, 1941 ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 16,1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ILLUMINATING DEVICE Col H. B. E. D.Cross, Stroud, Okla. Application April 29, 1941, Serial No. 390,981 2Claims. (01. z t-6.4)

The present invention relates to improvements in illuminating devicesespecially adapted to ladies handbags, brief cases, camera cases and thelike.

An important object of the invention is to provide a novel, relativelyinexpensive and simple means for supporting a flashlight so as to bereadily accessible for instant use.

Another object of the invention is to associate a casing with a ladieshandbag or the like in such a manner that a flashlight can be supportedin position for instantaneous use.

A further object of the invention is to provide means in the casing forilluminating the interior of the bag.

The invention also consists in certain other features of constructionand in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to behereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing andspecifically pointed out in the appended claims. 7

In describing my invention in detail, reference will be had to theaccompanying drawing wherein like characters denote like orcorresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of a ladies handbag with the illuminatingdevice in accordance with the present invention associated therewith.

Figure 2 is an end View of the device with the closure flap in raisedposition.

Figure 3 is a vertical, sectional view taken substantially on line 3 3of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawing for a more detailed description thereof, aladys handbag with which th illuminating device is shown in use, isgenerally designated by the reference numeral 5, the same being formedof suitabl flexible material and including side walls 6, end walls 1 anda bottom wall 8. As in bags of this type, there is usually provided ametal frame 9 consisting of a pair of sections pivotally united at eachend as indicated at H]. As is to be understood, for the purpose ofillustration only, the illuminating device in accordance With thepresent invention is shown in use with a ladys handbag. The device,however, is equally adaptable for use with brief cases, camera cases,physicians and surgeons medicine and tool cases and the like.

In accordance with the present invention, a casing is associated withthe bottom wall of the bag for supporting a flashlight construction soas to be readily accessible for instant use. In Figure 1 of the drawing,the casing is designated by the reference numeral H and is formed oflike l3.

leather or similar flexible material. The casing I l is of substantiallyU formation in cross section and is located at and extendslongitudinally of the bottom wall 8 of the handbag. The longitudinaledges of the casing are .secured to the sides of the handbag with thebottom of the casing spaced downwardly from the bottom wall of thehandbag. One longitudinal edge of the casing is stitched or otherwisefixedly secured to one side of the lower edge of the handbag asindicated at I2 while the other longitudinal edge is .detacha-blysecured to the opposite side of the bag by means of snap fasteners orthe By this construction, the casing is readily accessible forreplacement of the flashlight batteries and for making necessary changesand repairs to the flashlight construction.

A conventional flashlight case I4 is held within the casing II as bestshown in Figure 3 of thea switch I! slida'bly held within one wall of vthe flashlight case M and projecting through a slot l8 formed in theflexible casing I I.

The casing H further includes end members l9 and 20 respectively, saidend members being preferably cylindrical and formed of a relativelyrigid material to impart a substantially cylindrical formation to thatpart of the casing located below the bottom of the handbag. .The endmember I9 is riveted or otherwise secured as indicated at 2| to thebottom wall 8 of the bag 5 and is secured to the casing I I by means ofa suitable fastener 22, said end member being of hollow cylindricalformation and of such size to frictionally retain one end of the case M.The other end member 20 is likewise secured to the bottom wall 8 andcasing l I the means of fastening to the casing being designated by thenumeral 23. The end member 20 i formed with an opening 24 in which alens 25 and the reflector l5 are secured and by which the lens andreflector are held in assembled relation.

By means of the above described construction, the flashlight case, bulband reflector, will at all times be maintained in a plane parallel tothe bottom wall 8 and when carrying the bag illumination will beobtained from the forward end thereof. A further feature of the presentinvention embodies the use of a closure flap 26 secured as by means ofstitching 21 to the forward end of the bag 5. A separable fastener 28 ofconventional construction is employed for retaining the flap 26 in theclosed position shown in Figure l of the drawing. When desiring to openthe flap as the flashlight is being used, the fastener 28 is separatedwhich permits the flap 26 to be raised against the end wall of the bagand held thereto by means'of a snap fastener or the like 29, a shown inFigures 2 and 3 of the drawing.

It may occasionally be desired to position a colored lens in front ofthe lens 25 so as to project different colored lights. On the interiorof the forward end wall 'of the bag 5 there is secured a strip 30 ofrelatively rigid material which extends downwardly toward the bottomwall 8 and substantially parallel to said end wall. Mounted between thestrip 30 and the end wall 7 is a frame 3| which supports a colored lens32. tion 32' which projects through a slot 33 formed in the memberFrictional engagement of the portion 32 with the Walls of the slot 33will maintain the frame 31 and its lens in the raised position shown inFigure 3 of the drawing. For lowering the frame so as to position thelens 32 in front of the lens 25, the tab 34 is engaged for moving theportion 32 downwardly within the slot. Likewise, raising the tab 34 andlifting upwardly on the portion 32 will return the frame 3! to theposition shown in Figure 3. The front end member 20 is provided inadvance of the lens 25 with guide grooves 29a for the frame ..2!,whereby to establish a sliding relationship between the frame and thefront member and thus permit the frame to be moved to arrange thecolored lens 32 in advance of the flashlight lens 25 or withdraw it fromsaid position.

If desired, an opening 35 may be formed in the bottom wall 8 Of the bag5, said opening to be covered by means of a sheet of glass or othertransparent material 36. Likewise, an

' opening 3'! will be formed in the reflector l5 a relatively simple andinexpensive means for supporting a flashlight so as to be readilyaccessible for instant use. The attachment with the flashlight supportedtherein is relatively light The upper end of the frame St has a porinweight so that the weight of the bag is not materially increased.

Also it will be understood, of course, by those skilled in the art thatvariations in the hereinabove described device involving thesubstitution of substantial equivalents for the devices described areintended to be comprehended within the spirit of the present inventionand that the invention is capable of extended application and is notconfined to the exact showing of the drawing nor to the preciseconstruction described and, therefore, such changes and modificationsmay be made therein as do not affect the spirit of the invention norexceed the scope thereof as expressed in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a handbag having side walls and a bottom wall, aflexible casing of substantially U-form in cross section extendingl0ngitudinally of the lower portion of the handbag with the upperportions of its sides contacting with the, side walls of the handba andwith its lower side spaced downwardly from the bottom wall of thehandbag, means securing the upper edge of one side of the casing to theadjacent side wall of the handbag, means detachably securing the upperedge of the o'ther side of the casing to the other side wall of thehandbag, relatively rigid front and rear members located within the endsof the casing below the bottom wall of the handbag, means for securingsaid members to the casing andto. thebottom wall of the handbag, saidrear member being hollow and having its rear side closed and said frontmember being provided with an axial opening, a. flashlight providedwitha reflectorfand lens located within the casing with its rear end.positionedin said rear member and its lens and the I front end of itsreflector positioned in the-axial openingof said front member, and meansfor securing the reflector and lens together and to said front member.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1, comprising acolored lens, a framecarrying the colored :lens slidably associated with said front member inadvance of the flashlight lens adapted to be moved transversely of. saidfront member to arrange the colored lens in front of the flashlightlens. or withdraw it from said position, and means adapted to hold theframe against accidental movement from either of its positions.

so]. H. B. E. D. CROSS

